Aura and UNC-Chapel Hill study published in JAMA Network Open reveals students spend nearly one hour a day on smartphones during school hours, majority on social media
Aura, the leading AI-powered online safety platform for families, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Winston Center on Technology and Brain Development, reveals just how common in-school phone use has become–and what students are doing with that time.
Published by the JAMA Network, the peer-reviewed study analyzed over 600,000 days of smartphone activity from more than 11,000 U.S. students aged 10 to 17, using de-identified data collected through the Aura app. The findings reveal that students spend nearly one hour on their phones during the school day–and that nearly three-quarters of that time is spent on social media platforms, with TikTok leading the pack.
The report arrives as a growing number of schools and states move to restrict or ban phones during the school day–citing distraction, decreased academic performance, and growing concerns about youth mental health. While some argue phones offer connectivity and learning tools, data on actual use during class has been scarce.
“Parents often feel like they’re flying blind when it comes to how their kids use technology–especially at school,” said Dr. Scott Kollins, Chief Medical Officer at Aura. “This research offers a clearer picture. It’s not about blame; it’s about awareness. When we understand what’s actually happening, we can work together–parents, schools, tech companies–to help kids build healthier digital habits that support learning and well-being.”
The data offers fresh insight into real-world behaviors during school hours:
- Students aged 14–17 used phones more than 10–13-year-olds (1.1 hours vs. 48 minutes per school day).
- Nearly three-quarters of in-school screen time went to social media, led by TikTok, then YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat.
- Total weekday smartphone use averaged 2.9 hours, with one-third of that happening during school hours.
- 7.7% of students averaged more than 2 hours of phone use during the school day.
“With more than half a million school-days analyzed, this study gives us unprecedented insight into when and how kids reach for their phones in real-world classroom settings,” said Dr. Annie Maheux, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “As schools grapple with how to manage technology in the classroom, findings like these are critical for shaping policies grounded in evidence.”
Methodology
The Smart Phone Engagement report studied de-identified data from 11,382 students aged 10-17 from the Aura app. Smartphone activity was calculated by taking total minutes that students were active on a smartphone device between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and then averaging across available days. Data was collected after September 4, 2024 and before February 20, 2025, excluding Thanksgiving Week and December Holidays through the New Year. The study followed accepted research standards (STROBE guidelines).
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